Hillsboro recorder. (Hillsboro, N.C.) 1887-18??, 1887-08-18
POPULAR SCIENCE.

Il
claims to have ascertained, after careful
investigation, that the moon has an in
tiuence on magnetized needle, varying
with its phases and its declinations.
The phenomenon is said to be more
prominently noticeable when the moon is
near the earth, and to be very marked
when she is passing from the full to her
first or second quarter. The disturb
ances are found TO be at their maximum
when the moon is in the plane of the
equator, and greater during the southern
than it is during the northern declina-
ton.
Though the interior of the body re.
tains quite constant heat of ninety
eight to 100 degrees, the temperature OF
the skin varies considerably in different
parts. Professor Kunkel, at Wnrzburg,
has just found that in the face in adult
men it ranges from eighty-five to eighty
nine degrees. The skin of the more ex-
posed parts of the body, the nose and
the ears, shows a lower temperature, sell
dom exceeding seventy-five degrees, and
even descending to 7l.5. The highest
surfaces temperature appears in men in
the full yigor of life. and the remarkable
fact is observed that the skin of children
is cooler than that of adults-being from
seventy seven to eighty-four degrees. =.
Crabs, which are supposed to shed
their shells every year, do not often shed
them after they have attained their full
size, and the creatures become victims to
barnacles and all sorts of marine growths
that fasten themselves upon the shell. A
remarkable example of this may be seen
In the British Museum, where has been
placed an old crab of the edible species,
with some half-dozen oysters of large
size fixed to its back, which load, ever
increasing, the old crab was doomed to
carry to the end of its days. Another
curious specimen preserved is that of
hairy crab, which, though not larger it.
self than walnut, is saddled with q
sponge as big as mans fist.
The life time of an iron bridge is from
twenty to twenty-five years, and constant
care is necessary to insure its safety. The
Ashtabula bridge was thirteen years old,
and at the time it fell beneath the weight
OF two engines and heavy express train,
the theory was commonly advanced that
crystalization had impaired its original
strength. The two great causes of crys-
Utilization are vibration and the hammer
blows of the locomotive which gradually,
by repeated impact, turn the fiber of iron
or steel into a mass of crystal, needing
only some unusual pressure or blow to
cause them to break apart Add to this
the oscillation caused by the passage of
trains at high rate of speed, aud it will
be seen that an iron bridge is exposed
to peculiar perils, which can only be
guarded against by rigid inspection and
constant renewals.
Some facts in regard to q telephone
which is being tried in Europe are given
in the London Times. The description
shows the new telephone to have some
advantages over those generally used. 1t
is of very small size, and in appearance
resembles as nearly as can be described a
shield covering the button of an electric
bell. Merely touching it summons some
one on the other end of the wire. In
order to converse, the shield, which forms
the receiver and is attached to the instru-
ment by wire of any desired length, is
removed from the wall and applied to
the ear. The part exposed is q disc of
carbon, any sound uttered at or near it is
plainly conveyed to the receiver. The
persons conversing may each be one yard
away from the instrument and yet make
their voices plainly heard, while the
battery power needed is no greater than
that used in working electric bells. The
cost is small, and application universal.
This telephone was used in transmitting
messages from Brussels TO Paris last
March. Il is said that the forts about
Paris are connected with each other by
this telephone.
Some of the results obtainable from o
lump of coal-a lump Of coal that is
placed for instance, in the retort of gas
mandatory show in a remarkable de-
gree, the wonders of modern chemical
science. Ordinarily burned, the combus-
ton Of lump Of coal results in carbonic
acid smoke-meer scotland the ash, in
which are found silica, alumina, oxide
Vi hout phU5phoElGd Glds sulInuIAC Aclu,
potash, sodium, combined sulphur, some.
times traces OF chlorine, titanic acid and
other substances. In the gas retort va.
riety Of products are obtained, only few
OF which need be here mentioned. The
gas, as it is carried through the hydrau-
lie main to the purifying rooms, takes
with il tar and ammonia, the latter eyol.
we'd from the nitrogen. The ammonia
has TO be washed out with water in an
arrangement by which the ammonia Is
gathered and saved, tons and tons of
sulphate Of ammonia being thus made. The
sulphur is removed by caustic lime or
oxide Of iron. The carbonic acid is also
removed by lime, but the sulphuric acid
cannot be removed, and, with several
Others, remains after all efforts to remove
il, and the Others gives the gas its smell.
BY distillation, naphtha and asphaltum
are obtained: from ashplatum, carbolic
acid; from naphtha, bcnzole, cumot, toluol,
and cyTnol; benzOle, treated with nitric
acid, produces nitrobenzole, and from
this comes the wonderful aniline.